It is known from the literature that the water-soluble derivative of vitamin K3 (menadione sodium bisulfite—MSB-) induces an increase in free endogenous indoleacetic acid (AIA) in plants (Rama Rao et. al., “Menadione sodium bisulphite: A promising plant growth regulator”, Plant Growth Regulation Volume 3, No. 2 (1985), pp.: 111-118, 1985). Water-soluble compounds of vitamin K belong to a new class of exogenous inducers inducing plant resistance to different diseases and viruses, as well as to a number of stress factors, acting as an elicitor (exogenous activator or inducer of plant defense response) in agricultural crops under certain adverse biotic conditions and various abiotic stress factors (temperature, water, saline, etc.). Likewise, they also act as a stimulant for certain metabolic reactions in plants that are basic for growth and development as well as for adaptation and resistance to various stress factors.
In this sense, patent document ES2201911 entitled “Uso de composiciones quo contienen menadiona y/o alguno(s) de sus derivatives para bioestimular los mecanismos naturales de defensa de las plantas, a fin de contrarrestar entre otros los daños producidos por pesticidas y herbicidas (Use of compositions containing menadione and/or one or more derivatives thereof for the biostimulation of the natural defense mechanisms of plants in order to counteract, for example, damage caused by pesticides and herbicides)”, for example, describes aqueous solutions which can contain, individually or jointly, vitamin K3 as active components, the soluble derivatives thereof [preferably menadione sodium bisulfite or MSB] or sparingly soluble derivatives thereof [preferably menadione nicotinamide bisulfite or MNB], with respective concentrations comprised between 0.0001 and 200 ppm, 0.001 and 10000 ppm, 0.001 and 10000 ppm, preferably vitamin K3 between 0.001 and 100 ppm, MSB between 0.01 and 5000 ppm, MNB between 0.01 and 5000 ppm, for application in agriculture and horticulture, preferably by spraying the aerial part of the plant or by the irrigation system, being able to be mixed with various additives, such as organic and inorganic fertilizers, insecticides, nematicides, fungicides, bactericides or herbicides.
Patent document ES 2332494 B1 entitled “Uso de menadiona para aumentar la tolerancia al estrés salino de as plantas (Use of menadione to increase saline stress tolerance in plants)” relates to the use of an aqueous composition comprising menadione and/or one or more water-soluble derivatives thereof for inducing saline stress tolerance in plants and/or seeds, where the aqueous composition particularly comprises 3.3×10−7 to 0.66 mM of menadione (Vitamin K3), 3.3×10−6 to 33.3 mM of a water-soluble derivative of vitamin K3 which is a bisulfite selected from menadione sodium bisulfite (MSB), menadione potassium bisulfite, menadione ammonium bisulfite or menadione magnesium bisulfite; 3.3×10−5 to 33.3 mM of a poorly water-soluble derivative of vitamin K3 which is a bisulfite selected from menadione nicotinamide bisulfite (MNB), menadione p-aminobenzoic add bisulfite, menadione histidine bisulfite, menadione adenine bisulfite, menadione nicotinic add bisulfite or menadione tryptophan bisulfite; or any combination of the compositions according to (a), (b) and/or (c).
Patent document EP 1538136 B1 entitled “Fertilizer composition to stimulate the absorption of nutritive substances in plants” relates to a composition comprising a mixture of vitamin K and/or derivatives thereof, alginic acid and/or derivatives thereof and betaine.